summer reading list.

i'm making a list of books i want to read this summer. summer reading kind of books. entertaining, curl up in a chair, read on a camping trip or better yet at the beach kind of books.  

i browsed a little at barnes & noble the other day and even got some recommendations from an older lady. these are the three i've chosen to read (first two recommended by the aforementioned lady).

does anyone else struggle with the 'buy or check-out from the library' decision? i have a hard time buying books because i know i'll read them once, and maybe more if i like them, but they'll just sit on a shelf for a long time taking up space until i loan one to someone and of course never get it back. 

OR i borrow from the library, which in toccoa means i tell the librarian what i want and she gets it from another library, which takes a few weeks, and then i'm rushed to read it within the two week period because you know i'll never remember to call and renew the darn thing. 

decisions, decisions.

i'm just being whiny. i'll probably end up buying all three.

what are your thoughts? have you read any of these?

a sneak peak

a sneak peak at what i've been working on. check the etsy shop later this week!

date night in.

i love dating ben. {i know i've said this before on here} but really, i do.
i like looking nice for ben. going out. chit-chatting. being treated like a lady. you know, the whole shebang.

buuut, the kerr household is going through some budget cuts. we're get ready to move and preparing for ben to be in school full time. so, date nights have to be cut a little bit too. it's okay though because i think date night can be just as fun on a budget.

last night, we made a homemade pizza {love love love homemade pizza!} with tons of toppings. we made a trip to ingles to get our ingredients & then we came home and went to work. ben was so jealous of my apron.

{ben browned the delicious spicy italian turkey sausage while i worked on the garlic-pesto layer of the pizza.}

our spicy italian sausage, caramelized onions & peppers, tomato, pineapple, pesto & garlic pizza.

yeah, we're pretty crazy when it comes to pizza toppings.

if you want to make your own, the crust is just two packets of betty crocker pizza crust mix {the kind where you just add hot water} & we used ragu for the sauce. layer your favorite toppings and top with mozzarella. 

pizza and a movie was a perfect saturday night date. 

how do you guys do date night on the cheap?

happy weekend.

friday was good.

i only had to work half a day for the last day of school. {woohoo!}

we drove to buford to meet up with the kerr clan (and that almost-kerr girl, katie). katie had bought her wedding dress and we were all really excited for her. it's beautiful by the way. then, we took silly pictures because we were so happy.

{we didn't plan to dress alike. but i guess that just happens sometimes.}

happy memorial day weekend!

scrapbooking sellout -- part 2.

i started my project life book last weekend -- i'm really, really excited about it.

i only did one page but its so simple, i'll be able to add pages here and there pretty easily.

i think i'm okay with being a scrapbooking sellout.

and p.s. -- sorry the pictures are bad. the lighting is bad and i'm an anti-flash girl.

wiww.

what i wore wednesday! -- that's right, folks, i'm back. okay, so it's only three pictures, nothing to get excited about, but nonetheless i'm back in on the fun! 

1. saturday night out with our married friends from college (that we don't see enough!).

dress -- marshalls

jeans & shoes -- ross

2. sunday morning church.

shirt & shoes-- ross

skirt -- old navy

belt -- wal-mart

headband -- jordyiscrafty

3. monday school day.

shirt & shorts -- oldnavy

cardigan & shoes -- target

linking up @ the pleated poppy!

goodies!

THREE, count it, THREE days of school left.

so, in attempt to be that teacher, you know, the good kind of teacher, i have put together graduation goodie bags. and what do these little baggies have in them, you ask? mini play-doh, stickers, sparkly pencil, neon erasers, a cheesy poem from their teacher and class picture. that's right, i'm awesome. rather, dollar tree is awesome for making all this happen for less than $10 {*not including the cost of pictures from wal-mart}.

 to my teacher friends, enjoy these last few days the freedom that comes in just a few days!

i'm going to have {another} sister-in-law!

i'm happy to say congratulations to alex {my brother-in-law} and katie {in the post below} on getting engaged! it has been a long, long time coming -- longer than i've been with ben -- and i'm really, really excited for them. :)

now look, this is just sweet.

a flip book proposal, while he was bending down on one knee proposing in real life at the same time.

kerr boys men are just something else.

{happy.}

somebody is engaged..

there's my hand &... {you will have to wait for the official announcement}

happy happy joy joy

happy happy joy joy

happy-ness on a tuesday.

two things that make me (and ben too) happy 

{right now}

mine and ben's favorite after dinner dessert/snack:

&

listening to andy stanley's (from north point community church) love, sex, and dating podcasts.

even though we're not dating.

i highly recommended them for anyone single, dating, wanting to date, engaged or married, it's a really good series. {last week he said the word 'bitches' twice in his sermon -- which i found funny but so very appropriate in the message. crazy right? you're so curious now.}

that's all. 

a quick update!

i've been really blog-slacking lately -- sorry, guys!

here's an update on what's up:

-- i finished those invitations and they are adorable! i can't wait to get to work on decorations for the shower.

-- i had a 'working interview' on wednesday at a private preschool in smyrna (where we'll be moving) and they called me back the very next day. yep, i officially have a job -- teaching pre-k again!-- and i'm really, really excited about it! it's such a nice place and it's very close to ben's school. i think it's exactly where i'm supposed to be next year (and probably the next three and a half years). woohoo!

-- field day was last friday and big hit with my pre-k'ers. water balloons, egg races, sit-n-pop balloon relays, parachute games, picnic lunch, i mean seriously, what could be more exhausting fun than that?

-- ben and i got to spend time with my parents and my cousin&wife this weekend at a CCR (credence clearwater revisited) concert in peachtree city. it was at this really cool amphitheater called the fred, ever heard of it? i hadn't until this weekend. anyways, it was a great show and we all had a lot of fun hanging out. also, peachtree city made me want to buy a golfcart.

-- i've only got two more weeks of school left (woohoo!) and i plan on filling them to the max with fun activities. i just spent the last twenty-minutes looking up sweet science experiments to do all this week.  {this cool website by PBS is one of my favorites for science experiments}

that's all, i'll try to be a better blogger this week!

senior pictures

a couple of weeks ago, one of the girls in my small group asked if i would do her senior pictures for a better price than the studio in toccoa (where everyone gets pictures made). i told her that i would absolutely take her pictures, for no charge at all because i'm definitely not a professional and because i like her a lot.

so today, i took carmela's senior pictures and i am really happy with how they turned out. i think she's just adorable.

i'm no professional, but it was a lot of fun.

invitation makin'

there is some seriously cute baby shower invitation makin' going on here.

check out my test run. {the words will be on the right}

i'll be sure to update you with the finished products soon.

happy saturday!

what's on my mind.

i hate. hate hate hate. when someone asks me: "so, what is God doing in your life?"

i just want to respond, "well, heck if i know. ask me in a month or so and i can tell you what he was doing." except i never respond that because it's not correct christian-ese.

but right now God is doing something in my life (and ben's life) and i'm seeing it little by little. he's making me wait. he's preparing a way for me. he's testing my faith.  he's demonstrating provision. he's reminding me of his faithfulness in my life and in my relationship with ben.

we're moving. moving. in july? in august? something like that.

we knew ben would go to grad school for something. we knew he wanted to do something more with a biology degree. we didn't know what until he was invited to life university for a preview weekend. which we wouldn't have even gone to if it wasn't all expenses paid (hotel room, travel, food). but once ben was there a lightbulb went off & he knew that's what he wanted to do. he could be accepted for the fall semester, he didn't need any other pre-requisists, he didn't need to take any more standardized grad school test, he would be out of school in three and a half years.

accepted? check.

now, i have to find a job. the right job or any job.

our pastor spoke on sunday about the nature of our prayers. one thing he said really struck me. he reminded us that we need to pray big. the Lord does not have mediocre plans for my life -- why should i? i was reminded of the Lord's faithfulness in my life and in my relationship with ben. nothing even close to mediocre. is my faith so small that i should make tiny requests to a God who has shown me immeasurably more provision that i could ever imagine? i guess it has been.

 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! 

Ephesians 3:20 & 21

this week i have a new attitude about our next few months. i will find a job. it will be the right job, the best place for me, a place where i will grow and thrive, we will have a roof over our heads and food on the table. we will strengthen our relationship with each other and the Lord. there is nothing to be worried about.

not a thing.

and that my friends is what God is doing in my life.

wiww for slackers.

what i wore because it's wednesday.

i slacked.

but, i'll be honest. you didn't miss much.

sunday -- church

shirt -- belk

jacket -- target a long time ago

pin -- me

jeans -- ross

shoes -- payless

and that's it. 

linking up @ the pleated poppy!

kitty friends.

we have new friends outside our house. 

i have resisted and resisted feeding them, but yesterday they looked so cute and so sweet.

we gave in.

i even got to pet one today!

guilty pleasure food.

ben and i were having a conversation the other day about my favorite food. picking a favorite food is so hard for me, it's usually whatever i'm in the mood for at the moment (which is what starting the conversation in the first place). i told ben pizza was my favorite food and he told me it was not. he told me my favorite food was macaroni and cheese. who does he think he is telling me my favorite food.

but if we're talking guilty pleasure food, macaroni and cheese is definitely my favorite. it's an old school comfort food that always hits the spot. creamy. cheesy. carb-tastic. 

i thought i would share with you my macaroni and cheese recipe because i think it's pretty darn good (and because ben worked late last night and that's what i made myself for dinner).

jordyn's mac and cheese

you need:

1 cup of elbow noodles (whole wheat!)

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1 tbsp. of flour

1 tbsp. of butter (i actually used 'best life buttery spread')

two handfuls of shredded cheese (your choice! sharp chedder + pepper jack is my fav)

boil the noodles until tender & drain. 

combine milk and cream in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 2 minutes. while the noodles are in the drainer, turn stove to medium heat and melt butter in saucepan. pour flour into butter and mix well (wisk it good!). then, pour the milk & cream mixture into the pan. stir, stir, stir until all the little chunks are dissolved

. 

now add your noodles and cheese. stir some more. if the mixture is too runny for your tastes, let it sit for a couple of minutes. it will thicken. 

{i like to add a handful of bread crumbs on top, but that's optional.}

i hope you enjoy -- but not so much that your bikini figures suffers.